A formal determination has been made that Russian troops committed war crimes in Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday, adding that the Biden administration would work with others to prosecute offenders.
"Today, I can announce that, based on information currently available, the U.S. government assesses that members of Russia’s forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine," Blinken said in a statement released as he was traveling to Brussels with U.S. President Joe Biden for an emergency summit of NATO leaders.
The assessment that Russia committed war crimes was based on a "careful review" of public and intelligence sources since it launched its invasion of Ukraine last month, he said.
America's top diplomat said the United States would share that information with allies, partners and international institutions tasked with investigating allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
"We’ve seen numerous credible reports of indiscriminate attacks and attacks deliberately targeting civilians, as well as other atrocities. Russia’s forces have destroyed apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, critical infrastructure, civilian vehicles, shopping centers, and ambulances, leaving thousands of innocent civilians killed or wounded," Blinken said.
He cited attacks on the civilian population in the besieged city of Mariupol and elsewhere.
Neither Russia nor the U.S. recognizes the authority of the International Criminal Court at The Hague, presenting obvious difficulties for seeking accountability for war crimes committed in Ukraine.
The U.S. could still assist a prosecution before the court, which earlier opened an investigation into atrocities committed in Ukraine, by helping to gather evidence against Russian forces in Ukraine, using some of the vast abilities it has deployed to track and monitor what has been happening in the conflict.
The U.S. could also provide support and backing to a commission of inquiry established by the U.N. Human Rights Council.
Last week Biden flatly called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" for the unfolding onslaught in Ukraine, however, declaring someone a war criminal is not as simple as just saying the words. There are set definitions and processes for determining who’s a war criminal and how they should be punished.